Has Your Water Bill Gone Up? It Might Be Your Fault (Or It Might Be a Leak)

The Elk Grove Water District isn't out to gouge its customers, and in fact it can't.

"We're a not-for-profit [government agency]," District General Manager Mark Madison said. "We're not allowed to make a profit."

After a post on Elk Grove Patch and several comments on our Facebook page reported rising water bills after switching to water meters, Patch reached out to the district. Madison said while water rates are set to increase next year, switching to a water meter shouldn't increase a customer's bill unless that customer is using a massive amount of water or has a leak.

"The average customer has seen a slight decrease [after switching to a metered rate]," he said.

About 10,800 of the Elk Grove Water District's 12,200 customers are on water meters, and the district plans to convert the rest by June 2014; it's required by state law to meter all customers by 2025. The average customer uses 17 hundred cubic feet (nearly 13,000 gallons) of water each month, and would pay $78.30 under the existing flat rate or $81.35 under the metered rate.

In order to have a $100 bill, a customer would need to use more than 22,000 gallons of water a month. To pay $200 a month, a customer would have to use more than 64,000 gallons of water.

"That happens only to customers who use a lot of water," Madison said of customers whose bills increased after switching to a meter.

Some residents might find it hard to believe they're using that much water.

If a customer believes his or her meter is malfunctioning, the district will send an operator out to check it. Madison cautioned that most malfunctioning meters read low, not high.

And if a customer believes he or she has a leak, the Elk Grove Water District can send out Irrigation Consultation and Evaluation, a company that contracts in Sacramento County to help residents save water. That company provides free home visits to help check for leaks and provide tips to save water, Madison said.

He recalled a customer whose bill suddenly shot up to $300; Irrigation Consultation and Evaluation found the customer was "overwatering so badly the saturated soil was 18 inches deep below the grass roots."

After Delays, Rate Increases Coming For All

While the Elk Grove Water District isn't allowed to make a profit, it has to keep its head above water and pay its debts.

Madison said some deals struck when the district sold bonds require rate increases. After an approximately 18-month process, the district's board of directors last month approved a five-year rate increase plan that goes into effect January 1, 2014.

"We are not going to ask for rate adjustments because we can–only because we need to," he said.

Water rates will increase 3 percent a year for the first three years, and will increase 4 percent in years four and five.

Madison said the district deferred rate increases for four years while asking employees to make concessions, and added the coming increases should be close to the inflation rate.

"I recognize we have high water rates," Madison said. "We get that. The board's been very sympathetic to our customers and the economic conditions here. That's why rate increases were deferred for four years."

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If you think your water meter is incorrect or you think you have a leak, you can call the water district at 916-685-3556. More information on the coming rate increase and a calculator to find your new rate can be found here.

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Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly listed the date the water district plans to finish installing water meters for all its customers. Patch regrets the error.

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